Pygmy and Bantu leaders sign peace deal in southeast Congo

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KINSHASA (Reuters) - Leaders of two ethnic groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo have signed an agreement intended to end a conflict which has killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands, a local activist said on Wednesday.

Violence since May 2013 in southeast Congo between militias representing the Luba, a Bantu ethnic group, and Twa, has included large-scale massacres.

David Ngoy Luhaka, a priest and member of the Diocesan Commission for Justice and Peace, said leaders from the two communities signed the accord on Saturday outside the town of Kalemie.

He said he was confident that the accord would help reduce conflict between the Twa and Luba, but cautioned that the politicization of the situation remained a concern.